Pegboard attachment adapter

ABSTRACT

The pegboard attachment adapter has a base plate having pegboard attachment members fixed to its rear surface. Multiple holes, which may be threaded, are disposed in the base plate. The base plate holes provide custom placement of an item on the base plate even when the base plate is in a fixed location on the pegboard. Threaded base plate holes provide precise centering of an item. Base plate spacers are adapted to fit the base plate holes. A hollow shank extending upward from external threaded portion of the base plate spacer has internal threads. A screw matching the spacer&#39;s internal threads is used to securely fasten an object to the base plate via the spacer. Alternatively, fasteners may be utilized to attach an object to the base plate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 61/136,362, filed Aug. 29, 2008.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to wall-mounted storage systems, and inparticular, to a pegboard attachment adapter for attaching articles to apegboard.

2. Description of the Related Art

Pegboards generally comprise a sheet of resin-bonded wood chips or othersynthetic composition. Multiple holes are formed therein, the holesgenerally being of 3/16-inch diameter. Hooks and various clamps are hungtherein to support objects that can be mounted thereon. The hooks areusually formed of ¼ inch steel wire.

A common fault of this type installation is that the hooks are generallynot designed to support a variety of objects that a user may desire tostore on a pegboard, such as encased utility boxes, compartmentalizeddrawers, compartmentalized utility boxes, various types of workshoplighting, and other items that are typically designed for mountingdirectly onto walls, wall studs or other supports.

Thus, a pegboard attachment adapter solving the aforementioned problemsis desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The pegboard attachment adapter has a base plate that may be welded toelongate pegboard attachment members having hooked ends to attach theadapter to a pegboard. Alternatively, the base plate and pegboardattachment members may be of unitary construction. Multiple holes, whichmay be threaded, are formed in the base plate. The base plate holesallow for custom placement of an item on the base plate even though thebase plate may be in a fixed location on the pegboard.

The base plate holes allow for precise centering of an item. Base platespacers are provided and may have appropriately sized external threadsto fit the base plate threaded holes, or some other attachment mechanismfor securing the spacers to the base plate, e.g., a self-tapping screw,spring-biased legs that spread out after insertion through the pegboardsimilar to a wall anchor, etc. A hollow shank extending upward from theexternally threaded portion of the base plate spacer is internallythreaded. A screw matching the spacer's internal threads is used tosecurely fasten an object to the base plate via the spacer. Inadditional embodiments a fastener is either slidably or non-slidablyengaged in a single orifice within the base plate.

These and other features of the present invention will become readilyapparent upon further review of the following specification anddrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an environmental, perspective view of a pegboard attachmentadapter according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded, perspective view of the pegboard attachmentadapter according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a rear, perspective view of the pegboard attachment adapteraccording to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is an environmental, perspective view of an alternativeembodiment of a pegboard attachment adapter according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of the pegboard attachmentadapter of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a rear, perspective view of the pegboard attachment adapter ofFIGS. 4 and 5.

FIG. 7 is an exploded perspective view of another alternative embodimentof a pegboard attachment adapter according to the present invention.

FIG. 8 is an exploded, perspective view of another alternativeembodiment of a pegboard attachment adapter according to the presentinvention.

FIG. 9 is a rear perspective view of the pegboard attachment adapter ofFIG. 8.

FIG. 10 is an environmental perspective view of the pegboard attachmentadapter of FIG. 8, shown attached to a pegboard.

Similar reference characters denote corresponding features consistentlythroughout the attached drawings.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Referring to FIGS. 1-3, the present invention relates to a pegboardattachment adapter 5 having a base plate 15, which may vary in size andshape depending on a particular design. Pegboard attachment members 10are fixed to the rear surface of the base plate 1 5. Alternatively, thebase plate 15 and pegboard attachment members 10 may be of unitaryconstruction, being molded or forged in one piece. The attachmentmembers 10 are elongated rods having an offset shank or hook at theirupper end that can be inserted through holes in the pegboard PB andraised to bear against the rear surface of the pegboard PB, and an elbowat the lower end that can be inserted into another hole in the pegboardPB to prevent the attachment member 10 from moving laterally.

Multiple holes 20, which may be threaded, are formed in the base plate15. The holes 20 may be varied in spacing and diameter, depending upon aparticular design. The plurality of holes 20 in base plate 15 allows forcustom placement of an item on the base plate 15, even though the baseplate 15 is in a fixed location on pegboard PB. The holes 20 on the baseplate 15 allow for precise centering of an item, as centering becomesimportant when the item is indirectly fastened to a pegboard PB throughthe base plate 15.

The base plate holes 20 may be threaded, but they need not be threaded,depending on the design of base plate spacers 25. For a base plate 15designed with holes 20 that are threaded (as shown in FIG. 2), baseplate spacers 25 have externally threaded posts 27 extending from oneend for engaging the base plate threaded holes 20. An annular flangearound the base of the spacer 25 prevents inserting the spacer 25 toofar into the hole 20. Base plate spacer 25 functions as an anchor forattachment of objects to base plate 15. In lieu of dual threaded baseplate spacer 25 an appropriately sized threaded or non threaded fastenermay be utilized to anchor an object to base plate 15.

Base plate spacer 25 has a hollow shank 29 extending therefrom, thehollow shank 29 being internally threaded. A threaded fastener 35 havingmatching threads to the internally threaded bore 33 defined by shank 29can be used to fasten an object to the base plate 15 to provide a securemounting of the object to the pegboard PB.

In use, the attachment members are hooked into the pegboard PB toposition base plate 15 at a desired location. One or more spacers 25 areinserted into the holes 20 defined in the base plate 15 by threadingposts 27 into holes 20 in any desired location or pattern. Finally,screw(s) 35 is extended through mounting holes in the item to be storedon the pegboard PB and secured in threaded bore 33 defined in the shank29 of spacer 25, providing a convenient method of attaching items forwhich no conventional pegboard hook is available to the pegboard.Moreover, the object may be easily detached without leaving a hole ormess in the pegboard PB or wall behind the pegboard PB, therebyobviating the necessity of covering or patching the pegboard PB orsubstrate.

Thus, a simple fastener is capable of securing an item to the base plate15. An item may be fastened to the base plate 15 either with the baseplate 15 already mounted on pegboard PB, or the item may be secured tothe base-plate 15 in an unmounted configuration and then the entireassembly can be mounted to the pegboard by aligning ends of attachmentmembers 10 with holes in pegboard PB.

FIG. 4 shows an alternative embodiment of a pegboard attachment adapter45 can be mounted on the pegboard PB. A base plate 150 has an elongateslot 159 a through which a fastener 502 may be disposed and adjustedlaterally by sliding within the perimeter of the slot 159 a. Thefastener 502 may then be secured by a lock washer 505 and a large thinnut 510 as it is threaded through hollow, internally threaded boltreceiver 500 (shown in FIG. 5). With the aforementioned configuration,it should be clearly understood that the fastener 502 can securely holdan object in place on the pegboard PB.

As most clearly shown in FIGS. 5-6, the base plate 150 is adapted forattachment of a slider assembly. The slider assembly is comprised of asliding plate 522 retained on the base plate 150 by a rear retainingplate 520 and a front retaining plate 524, the flanged retaining plates520, 524, being fixedly attached to the base plate 150. Holes 582 onretaining plate 520 and through holes 526 and 527 on retaining plate 524are provided for fastening the two metal flange plates together inalignment with base plate pins 22, the metal slide plate 522 beingslidably disposed between the retaining plates 520 and 524.

Slider plate 522 has a central aperture 592 through which hollow boltreceiver 500 is disposed. Bolt receiver comprises a stud or shank 501extending from the center of a disk, the shank being internallythreaded. The internally threaded bolt receiver 500 has protrusions 563on the disk that fit in complementary dimples 565 disposed on the sliderplate 522 to keep the bolt receiver 500 from being rotated when bolt 502is threaded into the bolt receiver 500.

The internally threaded shank 501 of the bolt receiver 500 may also beexternally threaded to accommodate optionally internally threaded slideraperture 592. When the bolt receiver 500 is disposed through the sliderplate 522 and elongate slot 599 of front retaining plate 524, plates 520and 524 are secured to the base plate 150 via threaded fasteners Sextending through holes 580 and 525, and then engaging threaded bores66. Additionally, plate 524 has alignment holes 527 that receivealignment pins 23 on base 150.

A plurality of elbow attachment members 100 extend from an upper rearportion of base plate 150. A plurality of cylindrical attachment members105 extends from a lower rear portion of base plate 150.

As shown in FIG. 7, in yet another non-sliding embodiment, frontretaining plate 724 has a central aperture 799 through which boltreceiver 500 may be disposed. The base plate 750 has a base platecentral aperture 159 b that is aligned with bore 799 of plate 724 toaccept the bolt receiver 500.

As shown in FIG. 8, yet another embodiment of a pegboard attachmentadapter, designated as 85, has a substantially unitary slider plate 8500including a threaded stud 8501 that extends therefrom, the slider plate8500 fitting inside a U shaped channel defined in elongate base plate8750 and the stud 8501 being slidable within the extent of an elongateslot 8159 defined in the base plate 8750.

The rear portion of the slider plate 8500 has sidewalls 8502 that extendperpendicularly away from the central planar portion of the slider plate8500. When the adapter 85 is attached to pegboard PB, the slider platesidewalls 8502 constrain movement of the slider plate 8500 along theaxis of the stud 8501.

As shown in FIG. 9, a plurality of L-shaped tabs 8100 (in the exampleshown there are three such members) extend upward from the upperelongate edge of the base plate 8750. Two attachment tabs 8105 extendoutward from opposing end portions of the lower elongate edge of baseplate 8750.

As shown in FIG. 10, the interval space between the L-shaped tabs 8100is dimensioned so that they align properly with holes 6 of pegboard PB.Similarly, the interval space between the outward extending attachmenttabs 8105 is dimensioned so that the tabs align properly with holes 6 ofpegboard PB.

As most clearly shown in FIG. 10 the upper L shaped tabs 8100 hookbehind the pegboard holes 6 to keep the adapter base plate 8750 frompivoting away from the pegboard PB. The lower outwardly extendingattachment tabs 8105 fit in a lower set of pegboard holes 6 to constrainlateral movement of the base plate 8750 while it is attached to thepegboard PB. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 10, the slider plate 8500 can beadjusted within aperture 8159 by aligning the shank 8501 with indexmarkings 8900 on front of the base plate 8750. The slider 85 is thensecured in position by placement of washer 505 on shank 8501 and tightlythreading nut 510 onto shank 8501. An L shaped tongue 8762 that extendsfrom base plate 8750 further stabilizes attachment of base plate 8750 topegboard PB by providing more contact surface area with the pegboard PB.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theembodiment described above, but encompasses any and all embodimentswithin the scope of the following claims.

1. A pegboard attachment adapter, comprising: a substantially rigid baseplate defining a mounting surface having a plurality of holes definedtherein and an opposing rear surface; a plurality of attachment members,each of the attachment members having at least one hooked end adaptedfor engaging a hole defined in a pegboard, the attachment members beingfixed to the rear surface of the base plate; at least one elongatedspacer having a first end removably secured within one of the holesdefined in the base plate, and having a second end defining a threadedbore; and a mounting screw releasably engaging the bore defined in thespacer, the mounting screw being adapted for attaching an item to bestored on the pegboard to the spacer.
 2. A pegboard attachment adapter,comprising: a substantially rigid base plate defining a mounting surfacehaving a plurality of holes defined therein and an opposing rearsurface; a plurality of attachment members, each of the attachmentmembers having at least one hooked end adapted for engaging a holedefined in a pegboard, the attachment members being fixed to the rearsurface of the base plate; and at least one fastener removably securedwithin one of the holes defined in the base plate, the fastener beingadapted for attaching an item to the base plate.
 3. A pegboardattachment adapter, comprising: a substantially rigid base platedefining a mounting surface having an elongate slot defined therein andan opposing rear portion; a plurality of attachment members, each of theattachment members having at least one hooked end adapted for engaging ahole defined in a pegboard, the attachment members being fixed to therear portion of the base plate; a sliding member, slidably disposedalong a rear planar section of the base plate; and at least one fastenersecured within the sliding member, the fastener being adapted forattaching an item to the base plate.
 4. The pegboard attachment adapteraccording to claim 3, wherein the at least one fastener is removablysecured within the sliding member.
 5. The pegboard attachment adapteraccording to claim 3, wherein the at least one hooked end of saidattachment member extends from an upper rear portion of the base plate.6. The pegboard attachment adapter according to claim 3, furthercomprising stabilizing attachment members extending from a lower rearportion of the base plate, said stabilizing attachment members beingadapted for engaging holes defined in the pegboard.
 7. The pegboardattachment adapter according to claim 3, wherein the at least onefastener secured within the sliding member is an elongate threaded studextending forward from a front planar surface of the sliding member. 8.The pegboard attachment adapter according to claim 3, further comprisingindex markings disposed on the mounting surface of the base plate, saidindex markings indicating a lateral position along the elongate slot inorder to aid precise lateral positioning of the fastener secured withinthe sliding member.
 9. The pegboard attachment adapter according toclaim 3, further comprising an L shaped tongue extending from the baseplate, thereby providing more contact surface area with the pegboardwhen the base plate is attached to said pegboard.
 10. The pegboardattachment adapter according to claim 7, further comprising: a washerdisposed over the stud; a nut threadably engaging the stud, therebysecuring the sliding member to the base plate.